Ep 201: How to Develop Your Wine Palate

Published: Sept. 15, 2017, 9:13 p.m.

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We received two very\\xa0similar listener questions so it was time to make a podcast of it! They were....

Caryn R: I am trying to learn more about aroma and taste. How does one discern that a wine has notes of pineapple and honeysuckle, for example? Is all of that really true or just marketing? Can i learn to smell and taste with more nuance?

Ted A: I\'d like you to discuss palate. Can it be enhanced? How do you improve your palate? Do some people like me just not have a great palate, and it can\'t be improved?

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We address all the questions above:

  • First we discuss the biology and building blocks of aroma
  • We talk about a number of categories of aromas from a chemical perspective (which, actually, as I look at them, remind me of names from Game of Thrones!): Esters, Pyrazines, Terpenes, and Thiols. Lots of great info on\\xa0http://winefolly.com/review/where-wine-flavors-come-from/\\xa0
  • We discuss some other broader smell categories and what they manifest as in wine: oak, botrytis, and the yeast brettanomyces too!
  • Then we give you some action items:\\xa0
    • How to separate broad categories: fruit v herb v earth v other stuff\\xa0
    • How to become a student of smell and flavor by paying attention
    • The importance of slowing down to experience wine and food more fully
    • How to learn what certain structure terms mean by tasting certain things

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And finally, non-conventional advice like: don\'t buy aroma kits and stop with the blind tasting, already!

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Enjoy!\\xa0

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Special thanks to our sponsors:

www.hellofresh.com\\xa0- use the code Wine30 to get $30 your first week of meals!\\xa0

www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/wine -- don\'t forget to check out:\\xa0The Everyday Gourmet: Rediscovering the Lost Art of Cooking for the tasting class we discuss! \\xa0

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